Device for cutting into slabs a block of not yet entirely solidified cellular concrete or another plastic material

ABSTRACT

A device for cutting slabs from a block of a weak material, such as not yet entirely solidified cellular concrete, comprising a revolvable cage into which the block lying upon a trolley is introduced; the cage is than rolled sidewardly and turned over 90* such that the block is resting upon a second trolley locked in the cage after which one or more cutting wires are passed through the block; finally the second trolley with the slabs is discharged and the cage is turned back 90*, so as to repeat the cycle.

States t [1 1 Adanlt Sept 18, 1973 DlEVllCE FOR CUTTTNG KNTO SLABS ABLOCK 01F NOT YET ENTIRELY SOLTDIFIED CELLULAR CONCRETE OR ANOTHERPLASTEC MATERIAL [75] Inventor: Johannes Antonius Marie Adank,

Vinkeveen, Netherlands [73] Assignee: Stork Amsterdam N.V., Amstelveen,

Netherlands 22 Filed: Feb. 24, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 22mm [52] US. Cl.198/33 Al), 2l4/l'Q, 214/4632 [S 1] Int. Cl. B65g 47/22 [58] Field ofSearch 214/1 Q, l QG, 1 OF,

21,4/l46.5; 198/33 AD, 33 R 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS9/1970 Thatcher; 214/1 Q v Y J 3325:2451

3,035,715 5/1962 Laing et al 214/] OF 3,655,079 4/1972 Kinnicutt, Jr. etal 214/1465 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 518,876 3/1940 Great Britain214/1 00 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Frank E.Werner Attorney-Alan l-i. Levine 57 ABSTRACT A device for cuttingslabsfrom a block of a weak material, such as not yet entirely solidifiedcellular concrete, comprising a revolvable cage into which the blocklying upon a trolley is introduced; the cage is than rolled sidewardlyand turned over- 90 such that'the block is resting upon a second trolleylocked in the cage after which one or more cutting wires are passedthrough the block; finally the second trolley with the slabs isdischarged and the cage is turned back 90, so as to repeat the cycle.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION My inventionrelates to a device for the cutting into slabs of a block of not yetsolidified cellular concrete or another plastic material, comprising acage rotatable around a horizontal center line in which there isarranged two guides, at right angles to each other, extending inparallel with the center line, means for revolving the cage through 90in order to bring alternately the one or the other guide in a horizontalposition, and two feedand discharge conveyors arranged outside the cagefor trolleys adapted to the respective guides of the cage, whichconveyors in difierent psitions of the cage respectively adjoin and areflush with one of the guides.

A device of this type is known and the arrangement is such that a blockof plastic cellular concrete is moved into the cage on a trolley in theposition in which it has been cast whereupon the cage is turned through90 and the block is transferred to another trolley on which previouslycutting wires have been provided which thereupon are moved verticallyupwards. The block cut into slabs in this way is subsequently moved outof the device by the latter trolley. It appears therefrom that two kindsof trolleys should enter and leave the device, while the trolley whichbrought up a fresh concrete block leaves the device in an emptycondition and an empty trolley which has been moved into the devicemoves out of same loaded with the slabs of concrete.

In the known device the rotatable cage is stationary so that thestationary guides outside the cage on either side thereof may easily bea hindrance to each other. In case of this arrangement it has been foundthat in practice it is impossible to move an empty trolley fordischarging a block, afterwards to be cut into slabs, into the device,while this block to be cut is ready on the guide-concerned on a trolleyof the other kind. The period for cutting the blocks of cellularconcrete is therefore substantially determined by the difficultiesarising on feeding in and feeding out the trolleys.

. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of my invention to provide adevice which has not the aforementioned drawbacks. For that purpose thefeed-in and feed-out conveyors are arranged at some distance from eachother and in a mutually parallel position, while the revolving movementof the cage is functionally coupled with a lateral movability of thecage in such a manner that the spacing of the two conveyors with respectto each other corresponds to the distance over which the case isdisplaced by a revolution through 90.

This feature is advantageous in that the guides for the trolleysarranged outside the rotatable cage are no longer an obstacle for eachother and in that a trolley of the one type with a block of cellularconcrete to be cut into slabs placed thereon can already take up itspo-. sition beside the path of the rotatable cage, while the latter isin a position in which a slabbed block of cellular concrete is removedand an empty trolley of the other type is moved into the device. Due tothis feature there is a considerable gain in time and also theconstruction of the guides can be simplified.

SURVEY OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 represents in outline a side elevation ofthe device,

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical plan view.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 the device isrepresented in full lines in the position I in which the block 3 ofplastic cellular concrete is cut into slabs and thereupon in the slabbedcondition is discharged in this position, whereas the device in theposition 2 indicated by dash lines is in the position in which a newblock 4 of cellular concrete is supplied. The device comprises anunderframe 6 with wheels 7, disposed on a track 5 and on top of thisunderframe 6 two rollers 8, one of which being only visible in theposition 1 of the device. The depicted device comprises further a cagewith a visible supporting ring 9 having a centerline 10. On thenon-visible side of the device a same supporting ring 9 is accommodatedand the supporting rollers 8 can extend throughout the entire length ofthe rotatable cage with supporting ring 9.

In the cage two guides 11, 12 are provided upon which the trucks 13 and14 are fitting lockably. .The guides 11 and 12 can be moved by means oflink mechanisms (lazy-tongs) 15 and 16 relative to the center line 1. Asis known the guide for the trolley on which no block of cellularconcrete in one of the end positions 1 or 2 is resting, is retracted bymeans of the link mechanism. The block 3 bears on the trolley 13 intheguide 11 while the guide 12 is retracted, so that the trolley 14 doesnot touch the block 3. In the position 2 the block 4 of cellularconcrete bears on the trolley 14 in the guide 12, while the guide 11 isretracted so that the trolley 13 does not touch the block 4.

On the outer ring 9 is mounted a downwards directed lug 17 in which isprovided an axial slit 18 directed towards the center line 10. In thisslit is inserted a stationary pin 20 which by means of a console 19 isconnected with the ground. The height of the pin 20 in relation to thelength and the location of the slit 18 is such that when the underframe6 is moved from the position 1 to the position 2 or vice versa, the lugdoes not touch the ground, so that the underframe 6 cannot move beyondthe depicted extreme positions 1 and 2. A corresponding mechanism may bearranged atthe otherend (not shown) of the cage.

As is depicted, the guide 11 in the cage adjoins the tracks 21 and 21'of the feed in feed out conveyors, respectively, when the cage is in theposition 1 according to FIG. 1, the arrangement being such that thetrolleys 3 in this position of the rotatable cage can be moved from therails 21, via the rails 1 1 to the rails 21-.

In this position 2 the cage is displaced in such a way and rotatedthrough that the wider track 12 adjoins the stationary guides 22 and 22of the feed in-, feed out conveyor for the trolleys14, the arrangementbeing such that these trolleys can be moved from the rails 22, via theguide rails 12, to the rails 22'. t

The operation of the depicted device is clarified with reference to FIG.2.

The blocks 4' of the plastic cellular concrete are supplied, via theguide 22, on the trolley 14" in the posiinthe operative position bymeans of the link mechanism 16. Moreover the link mechanism 15 isoperated so that the empty trolley 13 concerned is moved up against theleft lateral face of the block 4 of cellular concrete.

Subsequently the underframe 6 is moved until the rotatable cage hasundergone a translation and a rotary motion and is in the position 1 inwhich the block of cellular concrete is in the position 3 and bearsentirely on the trolley 13 whereupon the link mechanism 16 is operated.In a way not described herein the block 3 of cellular concrete isthereupon cut into slabs by moving cutting wires vertically upwards fromthe upper side of the trolley 13, whereupon the locking of the trolley13 in the stationary guide 11 is released. Now the trolley 13 can bedischarged via the rail 21. A trolley 13' with a slabbed block 3 ofcellular concrete is depicted. Simultaneously with the discharge of thisblock of cellular concrete on the trolley concerned an empty' trolley13'' is moved forward, via the rails 21, toward the stationary guide 11in the rotatable cage. Thereupon the trolley in question is locked andthe link mechanism 15 is operated, whereupon the stationary cage canturn back by moving the underframe 6. The rotatable cage is then againin the position 2. Thereupon the link mechanism 16 is moved upwards andthe trolley 14 which is now empty is fed out in the position 14, while anew trolley 14" with a block 4' is moved forward and the cycle isrepeated.

What I claim is:

' 1. A device for moving material, comprising:

a.. a rotatable cage having a horizontal axis of rotation;

b. a pair of trolley guides coupled to the inside of the cage at rightangles to each other and extending parallel to the horizontal axis, eachof the guides being movable toward and away from the axis;

c. an underframe having wheels and drive means, the

cage being supported by the underframe;

d. means responsive to the drive means for simultaneously revolving'thecage through 90 and rectilinearly translating the cage, in a directionperpendicular to the axis of rotation, between first and secondhorizontally spaced positions, whereby when the cage vis in the firstposition one of the guides is horizontally located and'when the cage isin the second position the other of the guides is horizontally located;

e. a first trolley conveyor having a feed-in partand an aligned feed-outpart, the feed-in and feed-out parts each having an end for engagingflush with a different one of the ends of said one of the guides whenthe cage is in the first position; and

f. a second trolley conveyor having a feed-in part and an alignedfeed-out part, the feed-in and feed-out parts each having an end forengaging flush with a different one of the ends of said other of theguides when the cage is in the second position.

2. A device for moving material, comprising:

a. a rotatable cage having a horizontal axis of rotation;

b. a pair of guides coupled to the inside of the cage at right angles toeach other and extending parallel to the horizontal axis;

c. an underframe having wheels, drive means coupled directly to thewheels, at least a pair of rotatably supported rollers, at least onecage supporting ring, the ring being supported by the supported rollersand having a centerline coincident with the horizontal axis, said ringhaving a radially extending member in which there is located a radiallyextending slit; 1 i

d. a pin extending into the slit and fixed to ground, the pin beingslidable along the length of the slit, whereby actuation of the drivemeans simultaneously revolves the cage through and rectilinearlytranslates the cage between first and second horizontally spacedpositions so that when the cage is in the first position one of theguides is horizontally located and when the cage is in the secondposition the other of the guides is horizontally located;

e. a first conveyor having a feed-in part and an aligned feed-out part,the feed-in and feed-out parts each having an'end which is flush with adifferent'one of the ends of said one of the guides when the cage is inthe first position; and

f. a second conveyor having a feed-in part and an aligned feed-out part,the feed-in and feed-out parts each having'an end which is flush with adifferent one of the ends of said other of the guides when the cage isin the second position.

'* l II!

1. A device for moving material, comprising: a. a rotatable cage havinga horizontal axis of rotation; b. a pair of trolley guides coupled tothe inside of the cage at right angles to each other and extendingparallel to the horizontal axis, each of the guides being movable towardand away from the axis; c. an underframe having wheels and drive means,the cage being supported by the underframe; d. means responsive to thedrive means for simultaneously revolving the cage through 90* andrectilinearly translating the cage, in a direction perpendicular to theaxis of rotation, between first and second horizontally spacedpositions, whereby when the cage is in the first position one of theguides is horizontally located and when the cage is in the secondposition the other of the guides is horizontally located; e. a firsttrolley conveyor having a feed-in part and an aligned feed-out part, thefeed-in and feed-out parts each having an end for engaging flush with adifferent one of the ends of said one of the guides when the cage is inthe first position; and f. a second trolley conveyor having a feed-inpart and an aligned feed-out part, the feed-in and feed-out parts eachhaving an end for engaging flush with a different one of the ends ofsaid other of the guides when the cage is in the second position.
 2. Adevice for moving material, comprising: a. a rotatable cage having ahorizontal axis of rotation; b. a pair of guides coupled to the insideof the cage at right angles to each other and extending parallel to thehorizontal axis; c. an underframe having wheels, drive means coupleddirectly to the wheels, at least a pair of rotatably supported rollers,at least one cage supporting ring, the ring being supported by thesupported rollers and having a centerline coincident with the horizontalaxis, said ring having a radially extending member in which there islocated a radially extending slit; d. a pin extending into the slit andfixed to ground, the pin being slidable along the length of the slit,whereby actuation of the drive means simultaneously revolves the cagethrough 90* and rectilinearly translates the cage between first andsecond horizontally spaced positions so that when the cage is in thefirst position one of the guides is horizontally located and when thecage is in the second position the other of the guides is horizontallylocated; e. a first conveyor having a feed-in part and an alignedfeed-out part, the feed-in and feed-out parts each having an end whichis flush with a different one of the ends of said one of the guides whenthe cage is in the first position; and f. a second conveyor having afeed-in part and an aligned feed-out part, the feed-in and feed-outparts each having an end which is flush with a different one of the endsof said other of the guides when the cage is in the second position.